SmartTerra Is Using AI to Plug India’s Massive Urban Water Loss Crisis

India’s Cities Are Bleeding Water And AI May Be the Fix

Indian cities are losing water at a staggering scale. Nearly half of all treated water never reaches household taps. Delhi reportedly loses about 52% of its supply, while Bengaluru’s losses range between 37–40%. Cracked pipelines, corroded joints, faulty valves, and illegal connections silently drain millions of litres every day.

The result? Urban neighbourhoods receive water for just one to six hours daily. Residents compensate with rooftop storage tanks, diesel-powered tankers, groundwater extraction, and informal connections adding financial and environmental strain.

Cities are spending crores to source, treat, and pump water only to watch it leak away before anyone can use it.

SmartTerra believes artificial intelligence can change that.

The Startup Turning Data Into Water Savings

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Bengaluru, SmartTerra uses AI and machine learning to analyse fragmented water network data and predict leakages before they escalate into crises.

The company is led by CEO Gokul Krishna Govindu, a former Apple executive; COO Giridharan Sengaiah, an urban water specialist from PwC; and Chief Scientist Navaneethan Santhanam, previously with Freshworks.

Their core idea is simple: cities already collect massive amounts of water infrastructure data they just don’t use it effectively.

IoT sensors monitor flow and pressure. Smart meters record consumption. Maintenance teams log repair records. But this information sits across outdated maps, disconnected systems, and paper-based logs.

SmartTerra’s platform consolidates it all.

How SmartTerra’s AI Detects Leaks Before They Escalate

SmartTerra integrates directly with utilities’ existing systems including SCADA infrastructure, billing software, pressure sensors, flow meters, and maintenance records.

Its AI engine:

• Identifies pipes most likely to fail
• Detects abnormal flow patterns indicating leaks
• Flags faulty meters under-registering usage
• Spots illegal connections siphoning supply

Rather than issuing generic alerts, the platform generates precise field instructions inspect a specific 200-meter stretch, check a particular junction, or verify suspect meters.

The company claims:

• Up to 75% accuracy in pinpointing leaks and illegal connections
• 80% accuracy in detecting faulty meters
• Measurable water loss reduction within three months

Importantly, the AI improves over time. When field crews confirm or correct predictions, the system learns and refines its models.

Unlike many Western water management tools designed for continuous 24/7 supply networks, SmartTerra is built specifically for India’s intermittent supply systems and incomplete data environments.

Beyond Leaks: Safeguarding Industrial Water Quality

While municipalities remain SmartTerra’s core market, the company has expanded into industrial water management where water quality is mission-critical.

In some manufacturing sectors, even minor contamination can destroy production output.

One client producing mirror glass requires water at just 2 ppm TDS (total dissolved solids) far purer than drinking water, which ranges from 40–70 ppm. A small deviation can scrap an entire day’s production.

SmartTerra monitors:

• Flow and pressure
• pH levels
• TDS levels
• Treatment plant performance

Operators receive real-time alerts through a mobile app that translates anomalies into immediate action steps.

Two Business Models, One Goal: Reduce Water Loss

SmartTerra operates through two engagement models:

1. Stability Model

A six- to nine-month intervention where SmartTerra’s team works on-ground to deliver measurable results typically reducing water loss by 10–20 percentage points.

2. Continuity Model

A SaaS subscription that utilities run independently after stabilization, ensuring ongoing monitoring and optimization.

Onboarding takes three to four weeks. By week five, actionable insights begin flowing.

Pricing starts at ₹3–5 lakh per 10–15 km of network under the stability model. Industrial pricing depends on daily water treatment volumes.

Real-World Impact: 10.8 Million Litres Saved Daily

One of SmartTerra’s largest deployments was with L&T in Pune. Over nine months, the project reportedly delivered verified savings of 10.8 million litres per day across a 150 km network.

To date, SmartTerra has:

• Run pilots in 17 cities across India and Southeast Asia
• Converted several pilots into paid contracts
• Secured active contracts in 12 cities and two industrial campuses
• Begun trials in Australia

Clients include Suez, L&T, and multiple industrial operators.

$1 Million Funding to Scale Globally

In 2025, SmartTerra raised $1 million in funding led by Siana Capital, which contributed approximately $800,000. Angel investors, including Shalini Chhabra and Kumar Ganapati from Three Eye Partners, also participated.

The company plans to:

• Expand to 50 cities over the next three years
• Grow its industrial water segment
• Scale operations in the Middle East and Australia
• Pilot wastewater and sewer network intelligence
• Develop affordable digital tools for rural panchayats

A Growing Global Market

The global water management systems market is projected to grow significantly through 2030, driven by urbanization, climate stress, and infrastructure upgrades.

SmartTerra competes with companies such as India-based Agua Wireless Systems and US-based Ketos Water, but its differentiation lies in building AI models tailored to emerging market conditions.

The Bigger Vision

Water scarcity in India is not just a supply issue it is an infrastructure intelligence problem.

If cities can prevent treated water from leaking away, they can improve supply hours without sourcing new water, reduce tanker dependence, cut energy use, and lower operational costs.

SmartTerra’s long-term ambition is to become an integrated water intelligence platform covering water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems.

In a country where every drop counts, plugging leaks may be the fastest way to create new supply.